Rule of Three
by kabukimono
Summary: A collection of (probably) short stores exploring a post-game polyromance between Alternis Dim, Edea Lee, and Ringabel. Will eventually contain spoilers for the entire game, and most certainly has spoilers for Ringabel and Alternis' past. Proceed with caution!
1. Unconventional

**Contains spoilers for pretty much the entire game. The end of ch4 - 5, as well as Ringabel's past, and probably the end of the game itself. **

This fic is also a polyromance between Alternis Dim, Edea Lee, and Ringabel.

* * *

Their relationship was, as Edea so succinctly stated, unconventional enough without the addition of children to complicate matters. Children meant heirs. Meant bloodlines. Meant figuring out which of her two husbands was actually the biological father, despite everyone knowing that they were in fact, one and the same person.

But when she cheerfully told them one day over breakfast that she finally felt ready to have children with them, with _them_, Ringabel and Alternis eagerly agreed… after Alternis wiped off the coffee that Ringabel spit on him, and Ringabel cleaned the milk out of his hair from when Alternis had dropped his toast on his spoon.

Her pregnancy was just as unconventional. Getting her pregnant had been the easy part, once they'd planned and discussed and gotten the men comfortable with the idea that they _were_ going to be fathers, finally. After years of wanting a family of their own. But after that? Both men were quickly wondering what on earth they had just signed up for.

Despite gaining weight and inches every day, Edea seemed to have an inhuman, inexhaustible supply of energy. She kept active, kept working, kept exercising, kept eating, and it was Alternis and Ringabel who were the tired ones. They were awake early in the morning for the various jobs they were taking over as it got harder and harder for her to move, and up until all hours of the night to indulge her whims. Spicy noodles, super sweet cakes, and whipped-cream-and-tuna sandwiches, Edea wanted them all at any time of the day and night.

And on top of that, they found she was having twins.

Of course she was, Ringabel said with a laugh the moment he found out, his arms wrapping tightly around her with glee. Edea is excessive, and likes doing things by twos, after all! Never satisfied with just _one_, he'd joked, and at least his husband had found the remark funny, nursing the slight bruise Edea had given him when she elbowed him in the side, but smiling.

More than once Alternis fell asleep with his head resting on his wife's stomach. Ringabel was her pillow, but Alternis was her blanket, and the man would wake up with a horrible case of bedhead and an overwhelming, foreign feeling of peace, especially if what woke him was a kick against his cheek from one of his unborn children.

He had a feeling he'd have to get used to it. Lee children were infamously energetic, he'd heard, and if their children would be anything like their mother or fathers… the thought made him smile, and he chased the little movements of whichever twin - or both - of them was kicking at him with his fingertips, eliciting sleepy smiles from his spouses.

It was especially unconventional the way Edea continued to work, and walk, and even run sometimes the closer that her due date got, despite how much that frazzled her husbands' nerves. She refused to take off time for her pregnancy, and only did so when she had to, such as doctor's visits or when she felt particularly unwell. It just wouldn't do to have the Grand Marshal-in-training held up by something like pregnancy, not when there were more important matters at hand. While both men had missions they had to go on, she was at least kind enough to alternate them, so one was always at home. It meant that whoever stayed could be with her, just in case, and though she could get irritated with the hovering, she did appreciate the concern, especially when Ringabel rubbed her feet or Alternis brought her some of her favorite cakes from Ancheim.

Both of them treated her like glass even as she acted like everything was normal, right up until the moment her water broke in the middle of a Council meeting, terrifying the entire room full of men. And then she was unconventional still, giving orders to those presently panicking - even her own father who'd *_already had a child_* - and stopped only when she was well into labor, curled up and in pain in the arms of her partners.

What wasn't unconventional was the way that both men sobbed as they held their daughters for the first time, tears of wonder and happiness splashing onto the babies' faces.

"They're so squishy and fat," Ringabel sniffled as he mused back some of one daughter's wispy blonde hair. "Like puppies."

"Did you seriously just call our children puppies," Edea groaned from her position on the bed, exhausted but happier than she'd been in a long time. Not since that Florem buffet several years ago. "Really?"

"Er, no." He scrambled to correct himself, glancing at Alternis for help but getting nothing, as Alternis was too busy staring adoringly at the face of the baby he was holding. "They're angels. Little baby angels."

"I'll agree for once," Alternis rumbled, his voice lower than usual, thick with tears. "Baby angels." He'd never seen anything so beautiful. The girl he was holding - the older of the two - was red-faced and yes, squishy, and a little wet, but she was beautiful and healthy and she and her twin were _theirs_.

Both men eventually, reluctantly relinquished the twins back to the arms of their mother, but stayed closed to her throughout the night. They cuddled all three of their angels, and pet their hair, and fetched Edea the sweet cake she hadn't been able to finish the night before. And when dawn broke, the men were tuckered out and asleep next to their daughters while Edea started work again, reading paperwork.

Perhaps their family was unconventional, a pretty mommy and two handsome daddies, and two adorable baby angels, but their love for each other was anything but.


	2. Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice

Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice.  
That's what baby angels are made of.

* * *

It was a night like any other. Alternis was curled against Edea's massive stomach, having been lulled into sleep by the sounds of her breathing and the slight motions of their unborn children between them. Ringabel stayed against her back, his hand tucked under her tender breasts and fingers curled lightly in his husband's hair as he breathed deeply into Edea's. Things had been quiet, peaceful once they'd fallen asleep, but now...

Edea's eyes opened, and she raised her a hand up to scratch her itching stomach and run her fingers through Alternis's growing hair. Both of her boys felt warm around her, and she smiled. She almost didn't want to disturb their rest, but things were dire. Stretching out, she took a deep breath and-

"Time to wake up!" She demanded in a booming voice, as though she were imitating her father's pitch. The laugh that followed was decidedly not like Braev at all.

Years of military were still deep in their bones (Ringabel less than Alternis) and they both jerked awake, sleepy heads lifting from their pillows and their heart racing until they remembered where they were and realized who'd actually spoken.

Ringabel flopped back onto the pillow. "Yes, Edea, dear… what is it?" She knew he was awake when his hand turned and cradled her breast. She elbowed him.

"Are you alright?" The other man asked, drawing away from her so that he could look her over, as if expecting to see what might be ailing her.

"I'm hungry," she whined, curling her fingers into Alternis's hair so he couldn't drift too far. He blinked owlishly at her. "For spicy noodles." She continued, and Ringabel groaned behind her.

"I'll get the airship," he muttered and Edea couldn't mask her smile as he slid out of bed to pull his clothes on.

They were going to Ancheim.

* * *

"Ancheim. The land of sugar and oppressive heat." The disdain was noticeable in Alternis's voice as he was led down the streets of the city. Edea wanted to visit her favorite place first. Then from there, she'd figure the rest out.

"And spicy noodles!" Edea reminded him, her hand in his.

"Sugar, oppressive heat, and spicy noodles." He corrected himself. He knew better than to argue that she could have gotten spicy food in Eternia. It's not the same! She'd insist, and then she'd pout and sulk and he'd hate himself for days until one or both of them slapped it out of him.

"What's the harm in letting Edea get some exercise?" Ringabel offered from Edea's other side. He was certain they were quite a sight, two exceedingly handsome blond men leading a very beautiful and pregnant woman between them. He smiled charmingly at those impolite enough to stare, aware that being stared at unnerved his husband tremendously.

"Are you implying that I'm fat?" Edea asked him. Both men fell silent for a moment..

"Oh, look!" Ringabel's voice cracked. "We're here."

She cast him a suspicious glance, but they were there, and the manager of the shop recognized her and shooed her in quickly, bringing them to a booth in the corner where they could eat in peace. Edea stretched out, her feet touching the legs of the men who were seated across from her.

"I want the biggest, spiciest thing they have!" She declared, before placing her order with the manager.

"Is that… healthy?" Alternis asked Ringabel in a low voice. He hadn't even eaten anything and his nostrils were beginning to hurt from the spices in the atmosphere.

"She'll be fine. They'll be fine." Ringabel replied with a smile, and he took the other man's hand in his under the table. "You really should try their Deluxe Mt. Karka Hellfire Special. It's very good."

Alternis glanced down at the menu and tried to make a decision. Edea was still ordering. "I'll start small and work my way up." He'd heard all sorts of things about the spicy noodles here. Best to ease himself into it. "Just a small Firaga bowl."

The "small" was really the size of his head, and his eyes began to ache from the pepper fumes wafting up from it. His two partners were already digging into their meals with gusto, Edea obscured by the giant pot they'd put out for her, Ringabel's hair beginning to stick to his face with sweat as he slurped down the red noodles.

What had he gotten himself into?! This was beyond spicy, this was madness. And yet, as he slowly began to eat, a heat filled him unlike any other, warming him from head to toe. It wasn't the same sort of heat he usually got around his partners, but it was extremely satisfying all the same.

"Mm," Edea groaned as she finished her noodles later, stretching out. She'd had to tie her hair back away from her reddening face, but it still stuck to her cheeks. "That was great. Better than sex, I'd say."

Alternis had ordered a second bowl as they waited for her to finish, and he was still eating it, glancing at her over his fork with wide eyes and a full mouth. His eyes, nose, mouth, and stomach were beginning to truly ache, but she was right. He would have told her so, but it was impolite to talk with food in his mouth, so he simply agreed with a fervent noise.

Ringabel cleared his throat, tapping a napkin under his running nose. "And? Are you satisfied now?" (Nothing could be better than sex, in his opinion, but this came close!)

Edea shook her head. "Babies are still hungry! As soon as Alternis finishes, we'll go to the next place."

Alternis choked on his mouthful, grimacing when some of the spice went down the wrong way. "Next place?!" He managed to say between coughs.

"Of course," Edea nudged a glass of tea closer to him in case he needed it. He eyed the glass, tempted… it did actually hurt, but pain was something he tended to tolerate well. "You didn't think I'd be satisfied with just the one!"

"Yes dear. We know you're never satisfied with just _one_." Ringabel smiled at her, eyes flicking to her belly as an example, and he yelped when she kicked him under the table. Wuss, Alternis smiled as he tried to hurriedly finish his noodles, ignoring the burning in his throat.

The second place was more expensive, but they boasted lots of meat with their noodles, beef or chicken, Edea explained, and it could be more filling. The thick sauce was also the source of the heat, not chilli pepper powder added to the stock.

It was no less delicious, Alternis came to realize quickly, as he chewed on the tender pieces of beef in the "family-sized" dish he was sharing with his twin. Edea had ordered another one for herself, claiming that she was, after all, feeding their family. Her face was as red as the pepper sauce she was consuming.

Why hadn't he tried the noodles in Ancheim the first time he'd come there, he wondered. Why had he tortured himself with their awful coffee and meat dishes? And where could they get some of these for Eternia? It would be very useful in the cold(er) winter months.

The third location was just across the street, little more than a stand. They used fruits as a type of seasoning with thinner noodles and the resulting taste was spicy and somewhat sweet. Edea ignored the looks of distaste on her partners' faces and ordered small bowls for them each. "Dessert," she said, chewing on seasoned strawberry. "And my tummy needs to settle before we go to the next place."

Alternis swallowed carefully around a chili mango. It was…. alright, he supposed, if he focused on the spice and not the sweet. "Edea, how many places do you intend to visit?"

She didn't answer, and her smile chilled him. The wind picked up stands of her hair and blew cooly against her sweaty face, the redness slowly fading to a healthy glow. She was so beautiful, he thought, not even caring that the next bite was of too-sweet pineapple.

So beautiful and so hungry, he reminded himself a few minutes later when she herded him and his twin into the next location she wanted to try.

It was several hours later when the sun began to set, and Edea finally finished for the night, ordering a box of noodles for later, in case she got hungry. Ringabel carried the bag containing her snack in one arm, the other looped with hers. On her other side, Alternis carried a bag containing a variety of chili pepper powder and sauces that he'd found, wanting to bring some home with him.

"I'm stuffed," she said happily, and both men groaned lightly. They'd been stuffed ages ago, but she'd insisted they order things at each place so they 'wouldn't miss out!' "Babies are happy."

"Well, I'm glad the jellybeans are happy." Ringabel said. "But you, Edea? Are you satisfied?"

They clambered into the odd, mechanical transport that would take them back to the airship berth on the inner sea. Edea being as heavy as he was, neither man was keen on the idea of her walking across the desert, and while she'd insisted she'd fine, it was one of the few things they both agreed and would not budge on. Ringabel moved to take the wheel while Alternis settled in the back with Edea, patiently waiting until she was comfortable on the multitude of cushions and blankets before he wrapped himself around her. The wind drifted in through the open back, cooling them both. Ringabel reached back to cover his partners with a blanket.

"I'm satisfied," Edea finally answered, running her fingers through Alternis's hair. It was somewhat greasy with sweat, and smelled like spices. She liked it. He nuzzled into her shoulder, planting a kiss that warmed her skin.

"I'm glad." Ringabel smiled at them both. "And you, Alternis? The noodles of Ancheim are something else, aren't they?"

Alternis mumbled an affirmative. "We should come here again once they're born." Or the next time Edea had a craving, whichever happened sooner (he honestly had no idea at this point, in his opinion she looked ready to pop).

"Well, let's go home."

Things were quiet as they headed off, guided by the light of the moon reflected on the shiny sand of the desert. Ringabel thought Edea would fall asleep, sated as she was, but it was just when the Dark Knight came into view that she spoke again.

"Hmm… I'm hungry. I really want some eel wafers from Florem!"


	3. Bite

This particular chapter contains some implications of sex, but nothing explicit.

* * *

She wanted to be gentle with them, she really did! Everything was still so new and still so unknown, and she had wanted to take things slow. Make sure the two dimwits didn't get any stupid ideas into their heads about their relationship. Both Alternis and Ringabel could be especially fragile men, especially when it came to boundaries. They were so careful not to upset her or each other that it was maddening, at times. She wanted to shake them. Tie them up. Maybe whip them into shape, if only she didn't suspect they'd like that a little too much.

Despite getting visibly frustrated that he wouldn't move his hands from her hips,_ even after she removed her shirt for him_ and despite her teasing and her wiggling on his lap, he was as calm and unmoving as ever, no matter how red his face got, how much his fingers twitched.

Even Ringabel, who was a little more confident when it came to what he thought his hands should be doing, was treating her like she was made of glass! She wanted to scream or at least throw them both out the window, a great way to end their first "romantic" night. Were she and Ringabel not curled up on Alternis' lap, she might seriously consider it.

So she did the next best thing. After planting another kiss onto Alternis' jaw, she trailed her mouth down his neck, then sunk her teeth right into the juncture between neck and shoulder, hard enough to leave a mark, but not deep enough to draw blood - she wasn't much into that.

She'd meant to scare him, punish him, but the noise he made was anything but scared, a touch confused and somewhat distressed, but very much a moan of pleasure. When she wiggled against him again, the physical proof that he hadn't minded being bitten pressed up against her belly.

Edea drew back after sucking on the bite mark hard enough that it would remain an unsightly bruise for days, thinking how fortunate he was to have such body-covering armor. No one would see this but them. The dark knight couldn't meet her eyes, until her finger under his jaw guided his gaze to hers.

"If you wanted to be bitten," she breathed against his lips, smiling at his sudden shyness. "You need only ask." Silly boy.

Not a moment later, she felt a bite - much gentler than the one she'd given Alternis, but still stimulating - against her shoulder, followed by a kiss and a caress of tongue. She moaned, flushing at how it sounded to her own ears. _Oh_. So she was into that too.

"What's good for us is good for you, isn't it, love?" Ringabel purred as he nibbled at her ear. She wriggled against him too, sandwiched between their two warm bodies, snapping her teeth into the air, swallowing back a moan when _he did it again_.

"You started it," Alternis reminded her, his words nearly lost against her skin as he made his way down her form. His teeth and tongue peeled Ringabel's fingers away from her breasts one by one, until he was free to leave his marks against her sensitive, warm skin, marks that were followed shortly by Ringabel's.


	4. Orbit the Stars

After a lifetime of being alone, of curling up by himself at night and trying to will his brain into being quiet enough - or exhausted enough - to sleep, Alternis Dim had difficulties adjusting to his new relationship.

The relationship itself, the kisses and the touches and the… the feelings, those were fine. He'd had time to slowly realize that the warmth he felt in his chest was love for the other two. He'd always felt that love for her of course, though at times it had felt like burning hot pain. For his other though, that loud-mouthed, preening dandy, he'd thought it was mere annoyance until the first time his heart had jumped at one of the other man's gentle, sincere smiles given just for him.

It had been odd, of course, that one woman would be in a relationship with two men, even if they were the same man. And odd that the two men would be willing to share her with each other, and love each other when they still couldn't love themselves. But it worked. It was tentative and fragile at times, but it worked, and he loved it, and he'd never felt more at peace in his life than when he was with the other two, leaning against Edea's shoulder or on Ringabel's lap, their hands running through his hair or across his shoulders, down his hips...

And the three of them fit well enough in the bed, big as it was, though they had some arguments on whose limbs went where and who got to sleep in the middle that night. Ringabel and Alternis were both tall, but the bed was custom made, just for them, and there was room for them to stretch out and roll around and to curl up at the foot of it, if they felt like begging for attention.

But he still didn't know where to put his hands when he cuddling with his loves, because there were two people to touch and he only had two hands. He didn't know where to put his feet, especially when they'd just got into bed and all his toes were still freezing. He didn't how how to best reach both of them, especially if it was his turn to be in the middle and they surrounded him, warmth on either side that made him feel safe and cozy. And he didn't know how to make sure they knew that he loved them both; he was so quiet and awkward and the darkness inside of him could not begin to compare to their light. It kept him awake even when the other two slept until their snores lulled him to sleep.

"You're over-thinking things," Edea laughed one night, her head tucked against his collarbone. Ringabel was staying out late, and it was just the two of them huddled against the cold of Eternia's winter nights. He found it easier to talk about his feelings when it was just one on one, really.

"I…. am not," he grumbled, though the force behind his words was lost as he leaned his head back to allow her to continue to plant kisses across his throat.

"Yes, you are," she breathed, and she bit at him in a location they both knew would be covered by his usual clothing. "Just do what you want. We know you love us. You don't need to prove it." She paused. "And I don't snore."

Edea snored the loudest, he thought privately, but he kept it himself as he fidgeted quietly against her. "What if... "

"There's no what-ifs," she said a little more gently now, and she tapped her finger against his frowning lips. He flushed. "We both love you, Alternis Dim. And we know you love us, too. We also know you're too shy to make out with us in the hallways or scream when we're having sex, but that's okay."

Alternis flushed even harder. "That - that is not what I'm referring to, Edea." He suddenly couldn't look her in the face, though he heard her titter as he leaned back against the bed at her bidding as she straddled his lap. It wasn't making out with them in public that was the problem (he couldn't, because that would mean removing his helmet, and he hated doing that) and it wasn't even screaming during love-making that was the problem either (because that was just impractical).

"I don't know how to _show_ you that I love you," he whispered. He had ideas, of course. But Ringabel was so affectionate and Edea was so kind, and he… he was just…

She kissed him again, cradled his face in both her hands and rubbed her thumbs against his cheeks. "We know," she assured him, and there was such gentleness in her voice that it made him ache. Not for the first time, he thanked whatever was responsible for his creation that he - that they had all - survived the battle against the Evil One and come home. He closed his eyes, and Edea planted kisses on his eyelids and all was silent for a few moments.

"...Do you think he knows as well?" he mumbled, feeling embarrassed. His relationship with Ringabel had not started on the right foot, to say the least, and he was certain that even now many thought the two of them had simply come to a grudging agreement to share the woman they loved, rather than come to love each other.

Edea giggled. "Alternis, if there's anyone who knows how you feel, it's that idiot. You don't have to shout it from the rooftops like he does. Really, please don't." He smiled at the memory. "But if you're really not sure… why don't we ask him when he comes to bed tonight?"

That night, both Ringabel and Edea taught Alternis where to put his hands, especially when he was in the middle, his arms wrapped around Edea's wiggly form while Ringabel held him from behind. He was told to put his cold toes right into the crook of Ringabel's knees, much to the displeasure of the older man, and that Edea would be sure to keep his hands warm, if they needed it. And when he voiced his concern once more, that he still didn't know how...

"You're over-thinking things," Ringabel replied as he pressed his cheek into Alternis's bare shoulder. His arms were long enough to wrap around both of the other blondes, fingers grasping into Edea's bottom to hold her close.

"That is exactly what I told him," Edea smiled, nipping gently with her teeth at the exposed skin of Alternis' neck. He swallowed hard, and shifted, pressing his toes back against Ringabel's leg. Edea's joined his.

"I just-" His voice was rough, both with embarrassment and emotion; the warmth in his chest was almost unbearable. The heat of both of his loves from either side simply added to it, spreading it down his torso to coil in his belly.

"We're still figuring it out as well, Alternis." Ringabel's voice was calm, and smooth, belying any shock he felt at the cold against his legs. "You of all people should know that-"

"You are the not the sex god you like to play yourself as," Alternis finished for him, now smiling himself, chuckling at the same time as Edea laughed.

"Y-yes, well…"

"And I've never been very interested in boys," Edea informed them, interrupting Ringabel's stammer. "Just swords, and fighting, and making my father proud of me. Wanting to save the world."

They all fell silent, and she continued. "To be happy, and to feel loved. That's why we're together. It works, doesn't it? We're still working out all the kinks, but we have the rest of our lives to do so." She wriggled enough to kiss them both, and Alternis could feel his heart soar, the happiness without drowning out the doubt and worry in the back of his mind.

For a few moments, they basked in the warmth of each other's forms, buried under the blankets of their big bed while a storm raged outside in the Eternian night. Alternis was comfortable and sleepy now, and he settled between his lovers with a soft noise, his eyes slipping shut as their heartbeats and heat surrounded him.

It seemed like it should have been easy, for darkness to take him to happy dreams for once, but then Ringabel opened his mouth.

"Kinks, is it?"

It was not so easy to sleep after Edea walloped Ringabel with a spare pillow, nor when Ringabel declared war on them by yanking away his warm legs and the entirety of the blankets of the bed, and especially not after Alternis slipped off the mattress and flipped it over with the two of his partners still on top, but the warmth in his chest did not abate. And later, when they collapsed together on the flipped mattress, blankets and pillows piled carelessly around them, he found he had never slept so well.


End file.
